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Sunday, February 1, 2015

The First Olive

The first day of February!
Can you believe it? One month of our brand new year gone like smoke in the
wind!

My mother used to say, “We got
the first olive out of the jar – the rest will be easier.” I hope that’s true
for this year, although January wasn’t so bad weather-wise. We hardly had any
snow at all – only a few light snowfalls that barely covered the ground and
lasted only a few hours. However, we did have some single-digit night-time
temps.

Cold weather doesn’t bother me;
I’m one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to get up and go out to a job every
morning. I just sit in front of my fireplace, drink hot tea and do the things I
love, like reading or writing. But when those sizzling 80 and 90 degree days of
June and July hit, along with scary thunderstorms, I’d like to be a big black
bear and hibernate – in reverse, of course.

My son and daughter are completely
different. They both live for the hot summertime! I’m sure they were mixed up
with other babies at the hospital; neither could possibly belong to
me! Just as soon as the holidays are over, Daughter starts making
plans for summer vacations (yes, that's plural!). Forced merriment, I call
it! According to her, everyone must enjoy the sun, sand, surf and sea. Also seafood,
which I could live without from now on!

She hasn’t yet divulged where
their mid-summer vacation will be – nor the “last farewell to summer” escape
that comes oh, about mid-September... or sooner. But that's not all. Between vacations, they
spend weekends at Lake Norman, boating.

I don’t begrudge her any of
this. She and her husband are hard workers. They deserve every good thing that
comes their way. I just have trouble understanding why they never take a winter
vacation. Skiing and ice skating can be fun, too!

Oh, well. To each his own.

According to Son #One, everyone
enjoys planting and tending flowers and growing a few vegetables - vying
for the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood while soaking
up vitamin D and getting all tanned and healthy
looking at the same time.

He's been trying to convince me
since New Year’s Day that spring is almost here. He already has bulbs and seeds
planted and is talking about planting tomatoes soon. He swears the days are
longer and refuses to believe that we’ll have any more snow. “It’s too warm,”
he says.

I remember having snow in March
and April a few times, but I don’t argue the point with him. He enjoys his
dreams of sunny spring and hot summer days so much that I wouldn’t dare spoil
it for him.

My children seem to be getting
happier by the day – planning their warm weather activities, so I’ll let them
do that.

But, secretly, I’m still
dreaming of that one snowfall – just one – deep enough for me to lie down
in and make just one snow angel! One! Or a snowman.